Process for purifying and aging spirituous liquors



Dec. 15, 1936. A. YOCUM 2,064,330

PROCESS FOR PURIFYING AND AGING SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS Filed July 14, 1934 7 ,Inven 2'01 4W2; flfy Patented Dec. 15, 1936 PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR PURIFYING AND AGING SPIRITUOUS L QUORS Lincoln A. Yocum, Wooster, Ohio Application July 14, 1934, Serial No. 735,250

3 Claims. 99-48) I My invention relates to improvements in means for purifying and aging spirituous liquors, such as whiskey and the like distilled from grain.

The principal objects of my invention are the freeing of newly distilled liquor from fusel oils and other injurious and objectionable compounds and impurities, the elimination of which is essential to consumption without deadly efl'ect-s; secondly, to shorten the time heretofore required for aging beverages of this character to render them more palatable, and fit for human consumption, and do it more thoroughly and economically.

I accomplish these objects by improved means for removing the higher alcohols known under the name of fusel oils and all other deleterious and harmful compounds and substances, and reducing excess alcoholic content, and at the same time preserving flavor, etheric esters and medicinal qualities.

It has long been known that bringing newly'distilled liquors into contact with the charred surfaces of wood and warmed air has a purifying influence, but the method heretofore employed for such purposes has proved ineffectual on account of the exclusion of a current of freely circulating air surrounding the container, properly warmed, to carry off impurities from the raw liquor during the process of. constant agitation over deeply charred surfaces, and for want of adequate means for bringing the raw spirits into intimate contact with sufficient wood surfaces, properly charred, to thoroughly oxidize, and also -afiord means for eliminating the impurities therein.

' The mechanism I preferably employ for the purpose is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of my apparatus for the purifying and aging process.

Fig. 2 is a view of one of the agitators employed,

shown in operative position in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the liquor container, such as I use in the agitation process showing the charred wood surfaces within it and 46 an agitator paddle operable back and forth therein; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a float or suspended member lengthwise within the con-,

tainer, having a charred under surface of wood and a longitudinal opening for the admission of 50 the agitator therethru. In the drawing a heating oven'or chamber I, communicates directly with a tunnel or drum 2, which leads into a cooling chamber 3, and may extend outwardly for a purpose hereafter mentioned. Removably seat- 65 ed within the drum a container 3, for raw liquor,

has a longitudinal opening at its top for the free admission and circulation of air and the operation of one or more agitators 5, which are hingedly suspended from the upper inside of said drum, and an actuating rod 6, intermediate its ends. 5

The heat chamber I, is detachably secured to the adjacent end of the drum 2, for the admission of the container 4 which is held stationary therein by suitable supports, and so as to allow the warmed air to circulate freely under, around and 1 within it, so as to mix with the raw spirits ireely during the agitation thereof, and thereby absorb all irritating, poisonous and harmful gases, fusei oils, and the results of combustion in the small interstices in the charred surfaces exposed to the 15 agitation within the container, which pass out either thru the open top or thru the pores of the deeply charred wood opened up by the charring process, and carried by the hot air current into the cooling chamber 3.

The heat chamber is constantly supplied with pure external air by any suitable means unnecessary to describe, giving light pressure upon the heated air within the chamber, impelling it into and around the container, thus carrying out all 25 impure vapors arising from the raw spirits by reason of the high temperature maintained by the heated air and the agitation, and thru the cooling chamber whereby they may be condensed and saved for further use. 30

Inasmuch as complete oxidation depends so largely upon the close contact of the raw liquor with the carton made by charring the wood surfaces in connection with the freely mingling warm air at a constant temperature during agitation, I 35 have provided not only a very large carbonized surface over which the agitation is performed,

but also a new and improved method of charring the wood deeply for the purpose,

And in addition to the charred inner surfaces 40 of the container the float, or suspended member, shown in Fig. 4, is evenly and thoroughly charred to a proper depth over its surface, and is suspended in and upon the liquor in the container, thus adding to the carbonized wood exposed to the warmed air and the agitation mentioned.

Additional charred surface is provided by charring both sides of the wooden agitators 5, and the perforations therethru, and margins of the opening in the top of the container thru which the agitators 5 pass and the warm air is carried in and out.

By such means the impure, irritating and more volatile vapors are extracted and carried out either thru the open top or thru the pores of the I so largely the result of combustion in the interstices of the charred wood surfaces exposed to the agitated liquor in the container, it is also essential that suitable means should be provided for evenly and deeply charring the wood surfaces exposed; and for such purpose, I employelectric'ally heated metal spikes of stainless steel connected up to a suitable electric current, and held equal distances apart by a nonconducting medium, and adapted to penetrate the wood the desired depth, and the current left on until the wood is properly charred.

Such process is adapted to char any wood surface suitable for curing and aging fermented and distilled liquors, and may be accomplished either before or after placement in position, and any wood may be used that will not impart harm or noxious flavor.

Air warmed to a proper temperature is constantly supplied by the heating chamber, which is so constructed as to keep the temperature sur rounding and in the container even, and may be regulated by suitable thermostats.

The object of the opening in the container is to freely admit the warmed air to the liquor during the agitation so as to bring it into close contact therewith and combine the oxygen therein with the impurities in the raw spirits, and bring this combination into close contact with the carbon of charred wood surfaces exposed where the resulting oxidation takes place, and afford a way of escape for the resulting vapors into the external hot air current.

The several parts of my agitating device may be built in any convenient size or form to accommodate the form and size of the container, and the enclosing drum may be elongated so as to provide a plurality of containers.

I am aware it is not new to agitate liquor in a closed container, or to subject it to the action of air or heat while confined in a closed vessel, and such I do not broadly claim.

My invention is distinguished therefrom and lies mainly in providing a warm atmospheric current freely and constantly circulating around and within the container kept open for its admission to the raw liquor therein, and for the escape of impurities therefrom, and means for maintaining the current at an even temperature high enough to vaporize noxious gases therein.

I accomplish this by seating and enclosing the liquor container within a drum leading from an air heating to a cooling chamber, whereby a constant current of pure air is propelled therethru and within and around the container at the required temperature. and thus adapted to receive and carry off the oxydized impurities to the cooling chamber for condensation therein, after their elimination into the drum from the container by the chemical change that takes place in the cells of the charred interstices in the container, the floating cover and agitators-all of which present continuous avenues for their escape from the pure liquor into the enclosing drum.

.Agitation of the raw spirits by agitating paddles, or equivalent means facilitate oxidation, but is not absolutely essential altho well known in the art, and is not herein claimed except when combined with the deeply charred surfaces exposed to an enveloping atmosphere at a proper even temperature constantly passing thru a drum in which the container is seated and enclosed, substantially as set forth.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The process for aging and purifying distilled alcoholic liquors, which consists in storing raw liquor in an open wooden container seated within a drum enclosure leading from an air heating chamber to a cooling chamber, the drum spaced apart from the container for a hot air passage over and around the container, maintaining an atmosphere at an even temperature constantly circulating around and within the container in the drum, to oxidize and eliminate the impurities therein and carry them off to the cooling chamber for condensation therein.

2. The process for aging and purifying distilled alcoholic liquor, which consists in storing it in a wooden container, open at its top, and seated and enclosed in an air drum leading from an air heating chamber to a cooling chamber, the drum interior spaced apart from the container body to afford an ample air passage between them around the container body, maintaining a constant fresh current of pure warm air passing thru said drum and freely circulating around and within the container, and providing deeply charred interstices in the surfaces exposed to the raw liquor to facilitate oxidizing and the elimination of vaporized impurities, substantially as set forth.

3. The process for aging and purifying distilled alcoholic liquor which consists in agitating raw spirits in a wooden container, open at its top, while the latter is enclosed and seated in a drum spaced apart therefrom at all points, thru which a heated air current passes from an air heating chamber to a cooling chamber, enveloping the container and freely circulating around and within it, the inner surfaces of the container being charred to a depth sufllcient to form interstices therein thru which vaporized impurities may escape into the heated air current, the heat of the current within the container being adequate to vaporize impurities therein and carry them off thru the openings in the container to a cooling chamber for condensation, substantially as set forth.

LINCOLN A. YOCUM. 

